Chain-stitch sewing machine



CHAIN-STITCH SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 28, v1944. A CLAYTON CHAIN-STITCH SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1942 Ondr ew B. Clayt o n Q'RMSS:

March 28, 1944. A. B. CLAYTON CHAIN-STITCH SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 14, 1942 l Gnarew B. CLayfon Patented 28, 1944 cnam-s'rrrcn snwmo moms Andrew B. Clayton, Union, N. 1., anignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 14, 1942, Serial No. 430,854-

13 Claims. (01. 11z-zoo) This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to sewing machines ,of the chain-stitch variety.

Heretofore, it"has been customary, in a Singer chain-stitch sewing. machine, to have the machineprovided with a base-plate adapted to rest upon the upper surface of a power'table' and an overlying work-supporting cloth-plate supported from the base-plate and p sitioned ap roximately three inches above the upper surface of the power table. This two-level construction and arrangement rendered it difficult for theoperator to support and manipulate her work and furthermore it was conducive to fatigue.

This invention therefore has as its primary object to provide an improved chain-stitch sewing machine designed to be secured within a cut-out in a power table with the upp r surface of the work-supporting cloth-plat substantially flush with the upper surface of the power table, as is common in lock-stitch sewing machines.

A further object of the" invention is to render available a chain-stitch sewin machine having its cloth-plate substantially flush with the power table and capable of having substantially all of its bearing surfaces lubricated automatically by oil contained within a reservoir formed in a machine-supporting base, the oil being forced to the various bearings by means of a pump and suitable pipes and ducts, as in the Singer class 241 lock-stitch sewing machine illustrated in United States patent to Kaier, No. 2,206,285, July 2, 1940. A'still further object of the invention is to provide a chain-stitch sewing machine as above described in which the entire looper mechanism and substantially all 01 its actuating means is carried by a bracket removably secured to the underside of the cloth-plate. This greatly facilitates manufacture as it permits all of the lubricantducts and other holes to be drilled and all surfaces to be machined and finished before the bracket is applied to the machine, which drilling to the looper its loop-seizing and -shedding movements.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings f a Preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several -features of the invention and the advantages at- ;tained thereby will be readily understood by' those skilledinthe art.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a two-thread chain-stitch sewin machine embodying the present invention, showing the machine seated upon and within a suitable supporting base and with the upper surface of its work-supporting plate substantieijllly flush with the upper surface of the power ta e.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially on the lines 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged left end elevation, partly broken away, of the machine shown in Fig. l with the face-plate removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the removable bracket which supports the looper mechanism together. withv the parts carried thereby.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing a portion of the work-supportin plate, looper, looperthread guiding tube and the looper-thread takeup'located between the end of the thread-guiding tube and the looper.

Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the

. invention is disclosed as embodied in a two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine comprising a frame including a bed I affording a horizontally disposed work-supporting plate P, a standard 2, an overhanging arm 3 and a hollow head 4. The bed I is formed with depending end walls 1, l' and depending side walls I I, to be referred to later. Journaled lengthwise within the arm 3, in bearings 5, 5, 5 is a rotary main shaft 5 adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power connected by a suitable belt (not shown) to a combined beltand hand-wheel I secured upon the rear end of the shaft 6. A needle-bar 8 is reciprocably mounted in upper and lower bearing bushings 8 and 8'', respectively held within the head 4 and carries, at its lower end, an eye-pointed needle 9. The needle-bar is'reciprocated from the main shaft 6 through the medium of a crank-disk Ill secured upon the forward end of the shaft, a crank I lcarried by the crank-disk and a link l2 connecting the crank-pin with a stud I: carried by a collar I4 secured upon the needle-bar. A

the devices, combinations and arrangements of spring-depressedpresser-bar II also is mounted normally closed by a removable face-plate l1.

'lhreadnfortheneedlelextendhfznaasouree ofsupplythroughathread-guide threadtension is secureduponthearm 8,througha secondthread-gmdeflsecuredtothearmthence throughatake-up,comprisinganarm2i,secured totheneedle-barl,havinginitsfreeenda thread-eye ligand a cooperatng thread-engagingilngerli adjustablysecuredupontheheadl,

as by'screw 28. From the thread-eye II, the

thread extends downwardly through a threadguideflalsofixedtothehead4,throughanother thread-guide 2' at the lower end of the needle-baramithencetotheeyeoftheneedle.

Cooperatingwith the needle in the formation of stitches is a four-motioned looper mechanism including a looper L. all later to be described. Thread 1 for the looper extends from a source of supply, through a thread-guide It, tension 21, thread-guiding tube 28 embedded in the worksupporting plate P, through a rotary take-up, comprising stationary thread-guides 29, a rotary take-up cam-disk II and a thread-stripper U, and thence to the looper.

Journaledinbearingbushingsilu and, of which the latter two are supported in bearing lugs 83 and N formed integral with the worksupporting plate P. is a rotary looper-actuating shaft 8|, having intermediate the bearings 82 and II a looper-reciprocating crank 86 and a looper vibrating eccentric 31. The take-up cam It is secured upon the forward end of the shaft II by a screw as. The shaft 35 is rotated from the shaft through the medium of a pair of bevel gears 00, 40, an upright shaft ll journaled inthestandardlandasecondpairofbevelgears 42, 48 secured upon the shafts 4i and II, respectively.

The machine is provided with a four-motioned feeding mechanism including a feed-bar l4 and a serrated feed-dog I (Fig. 4) secured thereto as by means of a screw u. The feed-dog operates through suitable slots formed in a throatplate 41 carried by the work-supporting pl te P. The feed-bar is pivotally connected at its rear endtoafeed-rocker ll forming apart ofarockshaft 40 journaled on pintles II, II supported in lugs II, I I depending from the work-supporting plate P. The rock-shaft 49 is oscillated on its pintle bearings. thereby to give to the feed-bar and the feed-dog carried thereby their. advancing and retracting movements, by an eccentric l2 secured upon the main shaft I. A pitman II, within the standard 2, has at its upper end a strap which embraces the eccentric 52 while the lower .s assess? intheheadlandearrieaatitslowerehdapres vancing'and ts,asiscommon ser-foot It. The forward face-ofthe head 4 is infour-moticned feeding.

The looper L, hereinbefore mentioned, which cooperates with the needle in the formation of stitches; is secured to the upper end of an oscillilting and laterally vibrating looper-carrier .8

having its lower end clamped, as by screw 64, upon a short rock-shaft I journaled in the tubular cross-head ".of a substantially T-shaped looperl' er support 01. The looper-carrier support includes a cylindrical tubular stem portion 08 whichis journaled in bearing bushings I and II fitted within a bearing-support Ii forming a part of a bracket B which has a portion B fitted within and filling a cut-out i formed in the end wall |ofthebedl.- BeeFig. 3. The bracketBis removably secured upon flat seats I and I" (see Fig. 3) formed on the underside of the bed-plate as by means of screws 12 passing through holes I in the bracket and threaded into the plate P. The bracket B also carries the bearing 32 for the shaft 3! and all of the looper-actuating mechanism except the looper reciprocating crank 38 and the looper-vibrating eccentric 31 which are carried y the shaft ll.

The bracket B is formed with a mid-section extending croswise of the work-supporting plate P and a pair of spaced arms b and b projecting from one side of the mid-section in which is secured, asbyset screws h and 17 (Figs. 2 and 3). a stud 10 having a head Il fitted into the arm b and adapted to have connected therewith a lubricant-conducting tube It later to be referred oscillatory motions are transmitted to the looper-carrier 03, thereby giving the looper its endwise reciprocating loop-seizing and -shedding movements from the crank- 80 on the shaft II. This is effected through the medium of a pitman ll having one end embracing the crank it and its otherendembracingaball'lIformedonanarm I! carried by an oscillatory tubular rocker 'II journaled on the stud ll between the arms I) and b of the removable bracket B. The rocker II also is formed with an upstanding arm I! (Fig. 6) to which is connected by a ball-and-socket joint one end ll of a link II which passes through a hole II in the bracket 8 and has its other end I. connected by a ball-and-socket joint with the looper-carrier l3.

Surrounding the eccentric II, on the shaft", is a block 82 which is slidingly fitted between the spaced arms of 'a fork II the lower end It of end of the pitman is'connected to the free end oi"- a rock-arm N (Fig. 2) secured upon the rear end of the rock-shaft 49.

The forward end of the feed-bar is formed as a fork II which engages a block ll pivotally mounted upon the free end of a rock-arm ll secured upon the forward end of a second rockshai't ll journaled upon pintles as ll carried by the bed i. At its rear end the rock-shaft I8 is formed with an arm I. to which is pivotally connected the lower end of a second pitman II also located in the standard 2 and having at its upper end a strap which surrounds a feed-lift eccentric 02 secured upon the main shaft I.- 'I'hus rotation of the'm'ain shaft will, through the elements If,

II, I, II, II and II, effect rising and falling 4 movements of the feed-bar N and the feed-dog 45 carried thereby, in timed relation with its ad- 7|- which is clamped upon the stem I of the loopercarrier frame 01. Thus rotation of the shaft II also effects, through the elements 31, 82, ll, ll, 01 and it, sidewise or laterally vibrating movements of the looper L.

Secured to the shank of the looper, as by screw I is a needle-guide which operates forwardly of the needle 0. A second needle-guide OI, adapted to engage the rear side of the needie. is supported, for universal adjustment,-

from the portion ll of the bracket B. The base ll of the needle-guide It is mounted, for horizontal adjustment. on the upper end it of an L-shaped bracket 00 and is held in its ad- Justed position by a clamp-screw 86". bracket I! is adjustably mounted, for horizontal movement'transversely of the path of adjustment of the needle guide, on the horizontal leg ll of an inverted L-shaped bracket 81 which, in turn, in mounted for vertical adjustment on the portion ll orthe bracket 8. Clamp screws 88'' and 81" secure the brackets 'II and O1, wpectively,

The"

. 2,845,887 in their adjusted positions. The needle-guides 34 and II engage the needle and hold it against proper position should it be bent transversely of the path of the looper.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, the bed I of the machine is mounted upon a castmetal base A supported in an opening or cut-out 1. formed in a table .T with the top of the workplate P substantially flush with the top of the table. The base A serves as an oil reservoir R from which oil is conducted to substantially all of the bearing surfaces of the machine. To in-' sure that no oil will accidentally escape from the reservoir or oil-pan the downwardly extending end walls l, I and side walls i I of the bed and the rounded lower portion b" of the bracket B rest upon gaskets a supported by the base A.

To permit the machine to be tipped backwardly for the purpose of inspection or repair, the rear edge of the bed I carries hinge elements 83 which engage complemental hinge elements 33 (Fig. 3) secured in the table-top T, as by bolts 90.

Located within a sump S formed at one end of the base A is an oil pump which is operated from the shaft 4| and which draws in oil from the sump and discharges it through conduits k, M, H, and k to various parts of the machine. The conduit It extends upwardly within the standard 2 and has its upper end connected at k with the bearing 5 of the main shaft 5. From the bearing 5 the oil flows through a radial duct d into a longitudinal bore 5 formed in the shaft 6 and from that bore through suitable ducts designated generally as a: to the bearings 5 and 5 to the needlebar actuating mechanism, to the bearing surfaces of the feed-drive and feed-lift eccentrics 52 and 62, respectively, and to the bevel gears 33 and 40. The conduit k leads to the bearing 33 of the shaft 35. The conduit is has its forward end connected with a central bore i8 (Figs. 1 and 3) formed in the stud i8 and radial ducts leading from the bore conduct lubricant to the bearing surfaces of the stud l8 and the rocker ll journaled thereon. The conduit'lc has its forward end connected with a bore b formed in the bracket B (Figs. 3 and 5). This bore communicates with a transverse bore b", also in the bracket B, which in turn connects with a radial duct b formed in the bearing bushing 32. A portion of the oil thus transmitted to the shaft bearing surface within the bushing 32 is picked up,

during rotation of the shaft 35, by the straight,

side wall 35 of a radial duct 35 and conducted to a bore 35 formed lengthwise within the shaft 35. Oil inthe bore 35 is transmitted through suitable ducts to the bearing surfaces of the eccentric 31, crank 35 and ball 15. Other oil within the bushing 32 collects in an annular chamber 32 in the bushing and is conducted through aligned ducts 32 and b in the bearing bushing 32 and bracket B, respectively, and slot Ill in the bearing bushing 10, to a chamber ii' in the bearing support ll. From the chamber li the oil flows inwardly through radial ducts to a bore 68' formed in the stem 68 of the loopercarrier support and'thence to the bearing surfaces of the cross-head 66 and rock-shaft 65 joumaled therein. Any'oil which escapes from the forward end of the bearing bushing 32 gravitates into a catch basin b formed in the bracket v of the head 4.

3. Bandisreturnedtothereservoirwithinthebase A,byaninclinedductb"alsoformedinthe bracket 8. The bearings of the four-motioned feeding mechanism are lubricated f oil in thereservoirRbymeansofsuitable oil-cor lucting wicking, not shown. 4

The ball-joint connection between the link'll and the-looper-carrlerfl is lubricated by oil contained in a sump 8 formed in the left end'of the baseA, throughthemediumofawickwesrried by a sheet-metal support 10 secured in one end of .the shaft 35. The lower end of the wick rests in th sump 8' while the upper end thereof is maintained in contact with said ball-joint and transmits lubricant thereto by capillary action.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 4 the up r bearing 3* of the needle-bar 3 is lubricated by oil collected in a sump 4' formed in the lower end This oil is transmitted to the needle-bar bearing 8- by a wick 3' located in the head 4 and having one end 3 in the sump 4' and its other end surrounding the lower end of the bearing 8'. 011 from .the upper end of the wick passes through holes formed in the bearing 3' to the inside thereof where it lubricates the bearing surfaces of the bearing and the needle-bar therein.

From the foregoing it will be understood that all of the bearings of the machines are lubricated constantly and automatically from lubricant contained in the reservoir R and sumps S and 4. It will also be seen that a number of the ducts and ports which conduct the oil to the bearings of the looper mechanism are drilled in the removable bracket B. With the bracket removed from the machine the drilling of those holes may very readily be accomplished whereas such drilling op-' erations would be decidedly dlfllcult, if not actually impossible, to perform were the bracket formed as an integral part of the machine bed.

Having thus set forth the nature of the inven-' tion what I claim herein is:

1. A chain-stitch sewing machine comprising a frame including a bed having depending end and side walls adapted to be supported upon an oil pan carried by a suitable table with the upper face of said bed substantially flush with the upper surface of said table, one of said end walls being cut away adjacent the center of said bed, a reciprocating needle-bar carried by said frame,

an eye-pointed needle'carried by said needle-bar,

a rotary shaft journaled in bearings supported by said bed, a bracket removably secured to the underside of said bed and having a portion filling the cut-away portion of said end wall, and a looper mechanism carried by said bracket and actuated from said shaft, said looper mechanism including a looper adapted to cooperate with said needle in the formation of stitches.

2. A two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine comprising a frame including a bed, a standard, an overhanging-arm and a needle-bar supporting head, a rotary main shaft Journaled lengthwise within said arm, a needle-bar mounted in said head and actuated from said shaft, a needle carried by said needle-bar, a four-motioned work-feeding mechanism including a feed-drive rock-shaft and a feed-lift rock-shaft lournaledin bearings supported by said bed, feed-drive and feed-lift eccentrics carried by said main shaft, operative connections between saideccentrics and said feed-drive and feed-lift rock-shafts, respectively, a rotary driven shaft journaled in bearings supported by said bed, means for rotating said driven shaft from said main shaft, 9. looper mechanism mounted beneath said bed and including a looper-carrier and a thread-carrying looper therein adapted to cooperate with said needle in the formation of' stitches,- and means actuated from said rotary driven shaft,for giving to said looper endwise reciprocatory and lateral vibratory motions.

, 3. A two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine comprising a frame including a bed, a reciprocatformation of stitches, and a needle-guide supported for universal adjustment on said bracket.

4. A two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine comprising a frame including a bed, an endwise reciprocating needle-bar mounted in said frame, an eye-pointed needle carried by said needle-bar, a rotary shaft journaled in bearings provided bysaid bed, a bracket removably secured to the underside of said bed and affording a bearingsupport, a four-motioned looper mechanism carried by said bracket and actuated from said shaft. said looper mechanism including a thread-carrying looper which cooperates with said needle. in the formation of stitches, and a needle-guide carried by said bracket and engaging said needle to position the needle relative to said looper.

5. A two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine as set forth in claim 4 in which the needle-guide is adjustably supported upon said bracket for both vertical and horizontal adjustment.

6. A two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine as set forth in claim 4 in which an inverted L-shaped bracket is mounted for vertical adjustment on the bearing-support; in which a second L-shaped bracket is mounted for horizontal adjustment on the horizontal arm of the inverted L-shaped bracket; and in which, the

needle-guide is adiustably mounted on said second L-shaped bracket for horizontal adjustment in a path transverse to the path of adjustment of said second bracket.

'7. A four-motioned looper-mechanism for cooperation with the reciprocatory eye-pointed needleof a chain-stitch sewing machine having a bed and a rotary shaft journaled in bearings provided by said bed, said looper-mechanism comprising a supporting bracket removably secured upon the underside of said bed and affording a bearing-support located below and substantially parallel with said shaft, a substantially T-shaped looper-carrier support having its stemportion journaled in said bearing-support and having a bore formed in and lengthwise of its head-portion, a looper-carrier journaled in said bore, a looper secured to said looper-carrier, means carried by said bracket and actuated from said shaft for oscillating said looper-carrier to give endwise reciprocations to said looper, and means carried by said bracket and actuated from said shaft for oscillating said looper-carriersupport to give sidewise movements tosaid loopercarrier and looper.

8. A four-motioned looper-mechanism for sewing machines as set forth in claim 7 in which the removable bracket is formed with a pair of spaced arms; in which the means for oscillating the looper-carrier, therebyto give the looper its endwise movements, comprises a rocker iournaled assess-r between saidspaced arms and having a plurality of oil-set arms; in which one arm of said rocker 1 is connected to--an eccentric element on the-shaft by which ocsillatory motions are to said rocket from therotary motion of said shaft,-

and in which the other arm of said rocker is connecied by a link to said looper-carrier.

, 9; A four-motioned looper-mechanism for sew- .ingmachinesasset forthinclaimlinwhichthe stem-portion of the'looper-carrier support extends through and projects beyond one end of the sidewise motions of said looper-carrier'and looper.

10. A looper-mechanism supporting-bracket, adapted to be secured to the underside of the work-supporting plate of a sewing machine, comprising a, mid-section adapted to extend or of the work-supporting plate of the sewing machine, a pair of spaced arms projecting from one, side of said mid-section, said arms being provided with aligned apertures and adapted to support a portion of a chain-stitch looper-actuating mechanism, and a bearing-supporting extension, projecting from theopposite side of said midsection, adapted to support another portion of said looper-actuating mechanism, said mid-section having flat substantially horizontal upper surfaces designed to fit complemental flat seats formed on the underside of the work-supporting plate, said mid-section also being provided with vertically disposed bolt holes for the passage of bracket-attaching bolts.

11. A, "looper-mechanism supporting-bracket comprising a mid-section having a substantially flat upper surface adapted to be secured to a complemental flat seat on the underside of the work-supporting plate of a sewing machine, a pair of spaced arms projecting from one side of said a bracket having a mid-section adaptedto be secured to the underside of said work-supporting plate, a pair of spaced arms projecting from one side'of said mid-section, a rocker journaled be- I ,tween said arms, "a connection from said rocker to the eccentric on said shaft for effecting oscillations of said rocker, a bearing-supporting extension projecting from the opposite side of the mid-section, a looper-carrier-support journaled in said extension, a looper-carrier journaled in said support and carrying a looper, means actuated from said rotary shaft for oscillating said looper-carrier-support transversely of said shaft to give sidewise movements to the looper-carrier and the looper carried thereby, and a connection between said looper-carrier and said rocker for oscillating said looper-carrier lengthwise of said shaft for giving endwise 're'ciprocations to said looper.

13. A two-thread chain-stitch sewing machine comprising a work-supporting plate, a rotary shaft journaledin bearings beneath said plate, two eccentrics carried by said shaft, a reciprocating thread-carrying needle mounted above said plate, a looper-mechanism supporting-bracket including a mid-section removably secured to the underside of said plate, said mid-section having therein a plurality 01' apertures through one or which said shaft projects, a pair of spaced arms integral with and projecting from one side of said mid-section, a bearing-supporting extension integral with and projecting from the opposite side of said mid-section, a looper-carrier-irame supported by said extension, a loo'per-carrier Journaled in said frame, a thread-carrying looper supported by said looper-carrier for cooperation with said needle, a rotary looper-thread take-up disk carried by said shaft at that side of said mid-section from which said extension projects, looper-actuating elements carried by said bracket between said arms and connected with the eccentrics on said shaft, and members extending through others of said apertures in said bracket for connecting said elements with said looper-carrier-frame and looper-carrier respectively, for transmitting endwise reciprocating and laterally vibrating movements to said looper.

ANDREW B. CLAYTON. 

